Sniper Elite 5 is set to finally release for consoles and Windows later on this month. The highly anticipated title will of course retain the core facets of gameplay that have made the franchise so popular contemporarily, but will additionally aim to expand and improve upon many elements.
The fifth mainline instillment of the well-received Sniper Elite franchise, the upcoming game is set to utilize the growing popularity of the IP to provide the most expansive Sniper Elite experience to date. Building upon the campaign and multiplayer modes, core game mechanics, and introducing an entirely new and invigorating PvP system, Sniper Elite 5 is aiming to holistically improve upon its predecessor.
Improvements to Sniper Elite 5's Campaign
The most important element of any Sniper Elite title is the feel and replayability of its campaign. With Sniper Elite 5, its brand-new setting within 1944 France has been the subject of painstaking curation and detail from development studio Rebellion.
Utilizing real-world locations in the creation of the maps within Sniper Elite 5's campaign, the missions within the upcoming title promise to be set within a breathing and intricate environment, the likes of which the franchise has never seen before. To further compound this real-world influence, the developers behind Sniper Elite 5 have used photogrammetry to scan physical assets into the game to further boost realism and detail. Sniper Elite 5 will additionally improve upon the co-op campaign capabilities of its predecessor. Within the new game, players will be able to share ammunition and healing items, as well as give orders to their companion within co-operative gameplay.
Weapon Customization and Map Traversal in Sniper Elite 5
To further improve over Sniper Elite 4, the upcoming title will offer an intense level of weapon customization. By using brand-new workbenches, players will be able to comprehensively alter scopes, stocks, barrels, magazines, and more. These different elements of weapon customization will resultantly have more tangible effects upon gravity, wind, and heart rate, further refining the tactics behind loadout choice.
A new addition to Sniper Elite 5 is also present in the form of ziplines and slopes that can be utilized by the player for rapid map traversal. With how dangerous Sniper Elite gameplay can prove to be once a player's cover has been blown, this entirely new element of travel can prove invaluable in maintaining anonymity from enemy forces.
Invasion Mode in Sniper Elite 5
One of the most overt improvements within Sniper Elite 5 over the previous title is the introduction of a brand new campaign-based online PvP mode. The new Invasion Mode within Sniper Elite 5 is very reminiscent of the invasion modes of many FromSoftware titles, but has been boldly adapted to meet the more methodical ranged gameplay of Sniper Elite.
If players opt in for Invasion Mode participation, they will gain the ability to invade, or be invaded by, another player while playing the campaign of Sniper Elite 5. The invading player will join the host as an Axis sniper, who will spawn in an unknown location with the sole objective of eliminating the host player. As many can imagine, this will add a deeply engaging element to the Sniper Elite formula, with the tense battle of wits that Invasion Mode will foster greatly improving upon the experience of previous Sniper Elite titles.
Enhanced Sniper Elite 5 Killcam
Sniper Elite 5 will also boast a new and improved killcam system. The killcam system has become a staple of Sniper Elite, and has periodically been improved with every new release. In Sniper Elite 5, the killcam has been touted as "more realistic and grisly than ever," with enemy bones unpredictably deflecting bullets to tear new paths through the body. In addition to this, the new killcam paths the muscles of enemies, with SMG and pistol kills also now triggering killcams cinematics.
Sniper Elite 5 will be available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 26, 2022.